FOH = Fearful of Hillary

Not that long ago, it was a widely held opinion among conservatives in the professional political class that Hillary Clinton would be a dream Democratic presidential nominee — for the Republicans. Her high negatives, divisive personality, weak political skills, excess baggage and reputation as a big government lefty would all combine to make her the perfect opponent for a Republican nominee trying to change the subject to anything but what the voting public had come to hate about the previous 7-8 years of Republican rule. It didn’t matter how unpopular Bush was or the GOP had become, this thinking went, because Hillary simply couldn’t win a general election.

That thinking was always a little foolish and wishful, because it ignored the fact that all Hillary (or any other Dem for that matter) would have to do is win the states Kerry won in 2004, plus one big one or several smaller ones. (Ohio alone, where the GOP was decimated in 2006, would do it. Other states that in the current environment could be Dem pick-ups are New Mexico, Iowa, Colorado, Arizona, Nevada, West Virginia, even Virginia).

UPDATE: Judging from his comment, P. Lukasiak doesn’t seem to understand that I was describing what Republican pols thought of Hillary’s chances not long ago, and how they’ve changed their views. His reading comprehension teachers are hanging their heads in embarrassment.